James Harden next NBA team odds: 76ers star can opt out of contract, could return to Rockets

Yet another NBA season has ended without at least a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals for the Philadelphia 76ers, and it could be an offseason of major change in the franchise with the futures of head coach Doc Rivers and James Harden in question. Rivers may not get to choose whether he stays with the team, but Harden will get to decide as he has a player option in his contract. SportsLine offers odds on which team the future Hall of Famer will be playing for in the 2023-24 season opener.

Harden won two of the three games for Philly in the series on late 3-pointers but also didn't score a single point in the fourth quarters of Games 5-7 in a combined 32 minutes. Harden took just six shots in the fourth quarters of those games, compared to seven fourth-quarter shots in Game 1. Across the Sixers' four losses in the series, he made only 12 of 55 field goals overall (21.8%).

The 33-year-old has a player option worth $35.6 million for next season that he's expected to decline. Harden was asked about his future after Sunday's 112-88 loss in Boston: "I haven't even thought about it. I'm very, very disappointed. Very frustrated. It's a lot I want to say, but it's frustrating."

Harden would be eligible to sign a four-year deal worth $210 million if he chooses to re-sign with the 76ers. Philadelphia's advantage over other teams in free agency is the ability to give Harden an extra $8 million over the course of a four-year deal. Philadelphia has gone 52-26 in the regular season with Harden in the lineup since acquiring him in February 2022. He led the league in assists this season.

Joel Embiid was asked about his teammate's uncertain future. "We've got an unfinished job…obviously I don't know what's going on and I know he has a player option but that's on those guys to figure it out, I'm going to stay out of it, but I still believe we have the chance to win," the MVP said.

Embiid, incidentally, averaged 33.1 points per game in the regular season and 23.7 PPG in the playoffs. That drop-off (-9.4) is the largest by that year's MVP in NBA history.

There have been rumors all season that Harden is ready to go back to Houston to serve as a veteran leader on the young Rockets team. Harden has never won a championship and the Rockets aren't close to doing so unless they win Tuesday's NBA Draft lottery and the opportunity to select Victor Wembanyama at No. 1 overall later this summer.

Winning Tuesday's lottery would completely change the allure of going back to Houston, which Harden considers home. He won his lone MVP award in 2018 after leading the Rockets to a 65-17 record. They have a ton of cap space available this offseason. Whether Harden comes back to Philly could depend Rivers' future: "Our relationship is OK," Harden said of his coach after the loss, which isn't exactly a ringing endorsement.

Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Which team will James Harden be playing for to open the 2023-24 NBA season?

• Sixers -120
• Rockets +200
• Field +500

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